Tractor.



A. V. R'ACKSTRAW.

IRAGTOR.

APPLICATIQN FILED JAN. 3. 1918.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

- 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

. TED STATES ALBERT V. RAOKSTBAW, 0F BEDFORD, OHIO.

TRACTOR.

raeaoav.

objects of the present invention are.- Pri marily, to provide a machine of the character specified, that can be built at'comparatively low cost; that is contracted laterally or of small extent in its side to side dimension, thereby making it particularly ellicient for cultivating.

The nature of the soil is an important factor to be considered in the operation of a farm tractor. It is obvious that if the ground is hard and smooth a heavy machine will work to advantage, while if a soft or marshy condition exists, better results are obtained with a lighter machine. Therefore a further object of the invention is the pro vision of means for readily altering the weight of the tractor, or in other words, providing for adjustable ballast, thereby accommodating the machine to varying conditions of soil. Still a further object is to provide a tractor adapted to be coupled with any one of the ordinary farming implements, and operated by the same individual that attends to the functions of the connected implement.

With these and other apparent objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of a series of driven sprocket and traction wheels mounted tandem on a frame and operating an end-- less sprocket crawler, the master driving sprocket wheel being hollow to adapt it to the accommodation of a quantity of liquid, that may be increased or decreased for regulating the ballast of the machine.

To facilitate the explanation of the invention reference'will be had to the accompanying drawings which are made a part of the specification, and in which similar characters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts.

- In the said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the improved tractor, the motor being shown more or less Specification of Letters Patent.

diagrammatic, and the near side out-board supporting wheel being removed.

Fig. 2 1s a top plan view with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section substantially on line 3-3, Fig. 1, with the out-board supporting wheels and bearings removed,

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed January 3, 1918. Serial No. 210,116.

and the motor and caterpillar tread eliminated.

Fig. i is a fragmentary vertical section through the supporting wheels and bearings, showing their connection with the frame.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the steering means.

In the drawings I have illustrated an embodiment that carries out the principal aim of the present invention, which is to provide an economical, serviceable tractor having a narrow'base and adjustable ballast means.

Motive power, steering mechanism, and" other details of construction are necessary adjuncts to the operation of this tractor, and as certain of these elements are common to all tractors, I only claim them broadly in combination with the elements that enter into the construction and arrangement of the improved machine. I

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates the side bars of a frame desi'gnedto .support the operating elementsfsubstam ,tially in the relative position shown. 2 and A3 are sprocket wheels, and 4 is a traction wheel or idler. These wheels are mounted tandem in suitable bearings provided therefor on the side bars 1, and are adapted to rotate in alinement between the said bars.

For convenience of explanation the wheel 2 will be designated as the master-sprocket,- q and the wheel 3 as the trailer. The trailer is preferably of smaller diameter than the master-sprocket, and is mounted lower on the horizontal portion of the frame so that the tangent line of the lowest points of the peripheries of the two wheelsis in a" lane parallel to the horizontal portion 0? the frame. The wheel 4 is mounted on the frame in bearings located above the plane of the master-sprocket bearings, and is of comparatively small diameter. 7

An endless sprocket chain 5, provided with gripping pads 6 is carried by the wheels 2, 3, and 4:, said chain being inmesh with the teeth of the wheels 2 and 3 and rolling in the channel 4 of the wheel 4. It will be noted that the general contour of the chain structure, when in operativeposi- A tion, as shown in Fi 1, is similar to the contour of the power ul tank cars used for war purposes. This-peculiar type provides a long tread and an upward inclined forward portion, which adapts the tractor to readily surmount obstacles.

The master-sprocket 2 is provided with a chamber 2 adapted to contain water in being provided for charging and discharging. In the embodiment as shown, the member 2 is a hollow integralcasting provided with openings 2. These openings provide for the discharge of the core used in molding the member, and also may be used for the entrance'and discharge of liquidballast, water-tight closure members 2 being pro- I vided.

' crawler, which lays its own tra Out-board supporting wheels 7 are pro"- vided for stabilizing or maintaining the machine in an upright position. These wheels 7 are mounted on trunnions 8 which are made fast in brackets 9 attached to the underside I lar with farming. that this-construction is advantageous when using the tractor in connection with cultivators 0 other farm plements.

ill

A the tractor.

treated, 10 represents a motor mounted on master-sprocket 2 This is obvou'sly the.

, There are numerous types of motors that may be ad pted to drive the improved tractor, and therefore, the motive power is con-' sidercd only in a broad sense as a part of the invention. The location of the motor however is a salient factor in the eflicency of In the embodiment as illusth tame between the trailer 3. ope location, as it puts the weight of the motor where it is utilized to advantage in the operation of the machine. The master-sprocketQ is driven from the rector by twin sprocket chains 11, co-acting with sprockets 12, which are integral with or rigidly attached to the master wheel 2. While l have shown, and presently will des ribe an operative means for steering the lli 'yifiifid tractor, I anticipate the employ ment of mechanism difiering'in details of 4 action and eoiiperative arrangement shown, and therefore I wish it to cod that I am not confined to the A .zien as specific The steering mechanism of embodiment includes meuntecl in a yoke 14 with a stem 15 and a shoulder 15. 'A head block 16 is bolted to the'side bars 1, vand has an upwardly extending, centrally cored the present a pilot-wheel 13 which is provided ballast, means .plnion 19 keyed or otherwise tandem alinement;

ball bearings at 17, lower similar bearings being provided in shown at 16 Fig. 5. Attached to the upper the head block, as best terminal of the stem 15 is a segmental gear member 18 which is adapted to mesh with a made. fast to a steering rod 20. The steerin rod 20 is journaled in a bearing 17 provlded on the bracket 17, and extends rearward over the tractor in the vertical plane of the medial line of the machine. A second bearing 21 is providedfor the rod 20. The bearing 21 is attached to a plate. 22, which isconnected to upright frame members 23 and 24 connected with the side barsl.

The steering rod 20 is provided with an actuating wheel 20 located at a point con venient for manipulation by theoperator of the plow cultivator, ditching machine or other implement or vehicle to be towed by the tractor. 'Means 25 are provided for connec- .tion of the auxiliary vehicle or implement.

This novel construction provides a tractor that can be built at extremely low cost; that can be ballasted so as to operate With uni: form efiiciency on different soil or road conditions, and that is serviceable and highly eflicient for farm purposes-in general.

What I claim ters Patent is.

and desire to secure by Let- I 1. A tractor including one master-sprocket wheel, one auxiliary sprocket wheel and an idler wheel, a' frame on which said wheels are mounted in tandem alinement, an endless sprocket crawler member engaging the teeth of the sprocket wheels and the periphery of the idler wheel, means for drivlng the master-sprocket Wheel, and means for guiding the machine.

3. In a tractor the combination of a frame;

a master-sprocket wheel mounted on said frame; an auxiliary sprocket wheel of smaller diameter. than the master wheel,

, mounted on the frame to the rearward and 1n a lower plane that said master wheel an idler wheel mounted on the frame forward of and in a plane above the master wheel bearings, all three wheels named being in an endless sprocket crawler member, engaging the teeth of the sprocket wheels and the periphery of the sprocket idler, wheel; and means for driving the master wheeL- 4; In a tractor the combination of a frame; a master-sprocket frame; a liquid chamber within saidmaster-sprocket wheel; means forcharging and dischargin said chamber;

rearward and in a lower plane than said master wheel; an 1dler wheel mounted 'on the frame forward of and ma plane above .the master wheel bearings, all three wheels.

name'd'being in tandem alinement; an endless sprocket crawler member engaging the teeth of the sprocketwheels and the periphery of the idler wheel; and means for driving the master wheel 5. In a tractor the combination of a frame; a master-s rocket wheel mounted on said frame; ad ustable ballast means connected with said master-sprocket wheel; an auxiliary sprocket wheel of smaller diameter than the master wheel, mounted on theframe to the rearward and in a lower plane than said master wheel; an idler wheel mounted wheel mounted on said.

an auxlliary eel of smaller diameter than the. master wheel, mounted on the frame to the on the frame forward of and in a plane above the'master wheel bearings, all three .zwheels named being in tandem alinement; 'an endless sprocket crawler member engagingthe teethlof the s periphery of'the id for driving the master wheel.

6. r In a tractor the combination of a frame a master-sprocket wheel mountedon said frame; an "auxiliary sprocket wheel of smaller diameter than the master wheel, mounted on the frame to the in a plane rocket wheels and the er wheel; and means rearward and lower than-that of said master .v wheel; an idler wheel mounted on the frame forwardv of and in a plane above'the mas- 1 'ter' wheel bearings, allthree wheels named being in tandem alinement; an endless sprocket crawler member engaging the teeth of the sprocket wheels and t e periphery of the idler wheel; a motor mounted on the frame between the two sprocket wheels; means from said motor to the master sprocket wheel and means'for steering driving the tractor. I I In testimonlz whereof I afiix my s1 ature.

' A BERT V. RACKST AW 

